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The year 1995 marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec
Agreement (JBNQA), and as the Minister responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Agreement
and the Northeastern Quebec Agreement (NEQA), I am pleased to present the 1995 Annual Report, in
accordance with the James Bay and Northern Quebec Native Claims Settlement Act.

Since the signing of the JBNQA in 1975 and the NEQA in 1978, several federal departments and agencies
have been actively fulfilling the federal government's obligations and have developed the various structures
necessary to fulfill federal commitments in their areas of activity.

In 1995, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Cree signed a five-year
agreement to provide close to $170 million for the operations and maintenance budget of the Cree
communities. At the same time, I have begun a joint effort with the Cree to determine what needs to be done
to negotiate a plan to complete implementation of outstanding issues related to the JBNQA. Me Michel
Vennat, of Montréal, has been appointed to lead this exercise for Canada.

The Government of Canada took part in discussions with the Government of Quebec and the Inuit about the
creation of a Nunavik assembly and regional government. The Department continues to co-chair meetings
held with the Inuit and several federal departments through the Inuit Forum on JBNQA implementation. The
Government of Canada also conducted talks towards two future agreements with the Naskapi: the renewal of
their five-year operations and maintenance budget agreement, and a Naskapi job creation agreement.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to underscore the efforts of the Cree, the Inuit, the Naskapi and
the Government of Canada in achieving the significant progress made to date. Our success to date is
encouraging us to continue to strengthen our relationship, based on mutual respect and partnership, and to
look to the future with optimism.

The Honourable Ronald A. Irwin, PC., M.P.,
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
(JBNQA) was signed in 1975 by the Cree and
Inuit peoples of Quebec, the governments of
Canada and Quebec, the James Bay Development
Corporation, the James Bay Energy
Corporation and Hydro-Québec. Three years later,
in 1978, the Naskapi of Schefferville signed a
similar agreement, the Northeastern Quebec
Agreement (NEQA).

Two events prepared the ground for a process that
would lead to the signing of these agreements. In
1898, the boundaries of Quebec were first
extended north to the 52nd parallel. In 1912,
Quebec's boundaries were again extended, to
Hudson Strait in the north and to Labrador in the
east. The Cree, Inuit and Naskapi peoples
inhabited these vast federal territories known as
Rupert's Land.

The 1912 Quebec Boundaries Extension Act,
which established the province's current borders,
carried certain obligations. Under this federal
statute, the Quebec government was to reach an
agreement with the Native communities on
land-related issues. However, talks on these
matters did not begin until 62 years later, after the
Cree and Inuit of Quebec filed a motion to halt the
James Bay hydro-electric development work
begun in northern Quebec by the province.

In November 1973, Judge Albert Malouf of the
Quebec Superior Court ordered that all work be
stopped immediately, in particular because
Quebec had not yet fulfilled its obligation from the
1912 Act.

The decision of Judge Malouf was reversed by the
Quebec Court of Appeal in 1974. Nevertheless, it
brought about negotiations, in the same year,
which led to the ratification of Canada's first
modern treaties with Native peoples.

The year 1995 marks the 20th anniversary of the
James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
Since 1975, the federal government, in
conjunction with JBNQA beneficiaries, has been
continuing its efforts to implement fully all the
provisions of this historic agreement, which
serves as a model on more than one account in
North America and abroad.

As of June 30, 1995, 11,428 Cree, 7,528 Inuit and
621 Naskapi made up a total population of 19,577
Native people beneficiaries of the agreements.

Tracks of the Canada goose (Branta canadensis), also
known as the honker. It nests in the northern regions of
Quebec, Labrador and Newfoundland.

The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and the
Northeastern Quebec Agreement are more than merely land
claim settlements. They have paved the way for a new kind
of relationship with the Native peoples of northern Quebec,
introducing a form of self-government.

Under the terms of these agreements, the Native peoples in
the region have exchanged their claims, rights and territorial
interests for other rights and benefits, as specified in the
agreements.

The JBNQA and NEQA define the land regime applicable to
the Cree, the Inuit and the Naskapi as well as their rights in
such areas as resource management, economic
development, police and administration of justice, health and
social services, and environmental protection.

As compensation, the Cree and Inuit nations received $225
million under the JBNQA, and the Naskapi nation received
$9 million under the NEQA. They are also entitled to a range
of services and programs to which the federal and provincial
governments contribute annually. Additional lump-sum
payments have also been provided as a result of treaty
implementation agreements and specific agreements, most
of which are connected with a complementary agreement to
the JBNQA.

The Cree have received:

$50 million under the Chisasibi Agreement (1978);

$25.5 million under the Sakami Lake Agreement
(1979);

$112 million under the La Grande Agreement
(1986);

$18 million under the Mercury Agreement (1986);

$50 million (for the Chisasibi and Wemindji
communities) under the Opimiscow-La Grande
Agreement (1992).

The Inuit have received:

$48 million under the Kuujjuaq Agreement (1988);

$22.8 million under the JBNQA Implementation
Agreement (1990).

The Naskapi have received:

$1.7 million under the NEQA Implementation
Agreement (1990).

Tracks of the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus). It inhabits the
arctic tundra and plain, from the treeline to the icepack.

A land regime divides the territory of the beneficiaries
under the JBNQA and NEQA agreements
into three categories (I, II, III). It also
specifies the total areas of land and the rights in
each category.

Category I lands are set aside exclusively for the
Native communities that are signatories to the
two agreements. Cree and Naskapi Category I
lands are further subdivided into categories IA and
IB: "A " for lands under the jurisdiction of Canada,
and "B " for those under that of Quebec. To
distinguish them from Cree lands, Naskapi lands
are classified as IA-N and IB-N. Lands under
federal jurisdiction are governed by Native
institutions as defined in the Cree-Naskapi (of
Quebec) Act. Lands under Quebec's jurisdiction
are governed by corporations composed
exclusively of Native people.

Category II lands come under provincial jurisdiction,
but the Native people participate in the
management of hunting, fishing and trapping and
the development of outfitting operations. They
also have exclusive hunting, fishing and trapping
rights on these lands.

Category III lands are Quebec public lands where
Native and non-Native peoples may hunt and fish.
However, Native people enjoy certain privileges on
these lands under the agreements. They have
exclusive rights to the harvesting of certain
aquatic species and certain fur-bearing animals;
they participate in the administration and
development of the territory; and last, they enjoy
a right of first refusal, until the year 2015, in the
event of applications to transfer or set up new
outfitting operations. The Native people must,
however, relinquish this right for 30 per-cent of
transfers or new operations proposed by
non-Natives.

The JBNQA and the NEQA identify more than
14,000 square kilometres of territory as Category
I lands, 150,000 square kilometres as Category II
lands and one million square kilometres as
Category III lands.

The JBNQA and the NEQA provide for consultative bodies to
advise the governments on policies and regulations that may
have an impact on the environment and the social conditions
of the Native communities.

For this purpose, two committees have been set up under
the JBNQA: the James Bay Advisory Committee on the
Environment for the area south of the 55th parallel, and the
Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee for the area north
of that parallel. Each committee includes representatives
from the Native communities and from the two levels of
government.

The JBNQA also specifies evaluation procedures for
development proposals. The Cree participate in the
evaluation of projects affecting territory below the 55th
parallel, whereas to the north it is the Inuit who participate. It
is the responsibility of the federal Minister of the
Environment, or of an administrator appointed by the
Governor in Council, to administer the evaluation process for
projects involving the jurisdiction of the federal government.
For matters under provincial jurisdiction, the administrator is
appointed by the Quebec government. Projects having an
impact on Category I Cree lands come under the authority of
the local Cree administrator.

The NEQA includes similar provisions assuring the Naskapi
of participation in the environmental protection of the lands
covered by that agreement.

Three organizations administer compensation
funds paid under the agreements by the governments
of Quebec and Canada, and by Hydro-
Québec. The Cree Board of Compensation, the
Makivik Corporation and the Naskapi
Development Corporation thus finance projects for
the economic development of the Native
communities in northern Quebec.

The agreements also specify that, in the same
way as other Native peoples, the Cree, the Inuit
and the Naskapi continue to benefit from economic
development programs offered by the governments.

The JBNQA provided for the establishment of the
Cree School Board and the Kativik School Board.
Both these boards, which operate under Quebec's
jurisdiction, possess special powers and ensure
that the educational programs are culturally
relevant to the communities.

Under the terms of the NEQA, educational
services for the Naskapi are provided for by a
school created to fulfil the needs of the Naskapi
community. The Eastern Quebec Regional
School Board is in charge of its general administration.
In addition, the Naskapi Education
Committee was set up to perform the same
advisory functions as those assigned to school
committees under the Education Act at the time,
and now known as the Education Act for the
Cree, Inuit and Naskapi Native Persons.

The JBNQA and the NEQA established that
Canada and Quebec would contribute to the
funding of these institutions on the basis of
annual operational and capital budgets, subject to
their approval. The proportion to be contributed by
Canada was set at 75 percent of the approved
budgets of the Cree School Board and the
Naskapi school, and 25 percent of the approved
budgets of the Kativik School Board.

The Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating Committee
was created under the agreements. Composed of
government and Native experts, the Committee reviews
hunting, fishing and trapping management. It also makes
recommendations to the two levels of government. Subcommittees,
made up of Native and government
representatives, have been formed to deal with more specific
issues, such as big game, parks, fishing, outfitting
operations, marketing of caribou meat and land use.

The Canada goose occupies a very important place in Aboriginal culture
and traditions. It is one of the many wildlife species found on the
territory covered by the JBNQA and NEQA.

Since 1984, the Cree communities and the
Naskapi community residing on lands covered by
the agreements have become incorporated. Their
local administrations have the power to adopt
by-laws concerning the maintenance of public
order, environmental protection, taxation for local
purposes, roads and transportation, local
business and the use of lands and resources. The
Cree Board of Compensation and the Cree
Regional Authority – which is responsible, in
particular, for organizing common services for the
Cree communities – were created under Quebec
legislation. The Inuit communities are organized
into municipalities under Quebec law. The Kativik
Regional Government is their regional structure.
The Makivik Corporation was set up, in part, to
protect the interests of the Inuit with regard to the
implementation of the JBNQA. Both organizations
were established under provincial
legislation.

Local Native administrations are set up under the
terms of the agreements. The provisions applying
to Indian communities are implemented under the
Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act, passed by the
Parliament of Canada in 1984. This Act
supersedes the Indian Act (except for matters
pertaining to Indian status). It institutes a form of
self-government and establishes the land
management system for Category IA lands (Cree)
and IA-N lands (Naskapi).

The Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act also brought about the
creation of the Cree-Naskapi Commission, whose role is to
investigate appeals concerning the Act's application. It must
also produce biannual reports on the application of the Act
following hearings. These reports are submitted to the
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development to be
tabled in Parliament. The Cree-Naskapi Commission is
made up of no more than three commissioners appointed by
the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Cree
Regional Authority and the Naskapi community.

Since the signing of the agreements, the Department of
Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) no longer
provides direct delivery of services to the Cree, the Inuit and
the Naskapi. Its role is now to provide funding to finance
communities, capital spending projects and programs
delivered by Native administrations. It also participates in
several plans for the management of resources and of lands
covered by the agreements.

Finally, DIAND is responsible for implementing the
agreements with respect to the overall obligations of the
Government of Canada. In so doing, it must ensure the
coordination of the various activities on the part of other
federal departments and agencies in their dealings with
Native communities.

The implementation process of the JBNQA and the NEQA,
signed in 1975 and 1978 respectively, proved to be longer
and more complex than expected.

In 1981, the House of Commons Standing Committee on
Indian Affairs urged the federal government to examine the
problems relating to the JBNQA. Following the tabling of a
departmental report - the Tait Report - in 1982, the federal
government instituted a series of measures designed to
solve all the problems related to the implementation of the
Agreement. However, some problems remain.

In June 1986, Cabinet approved a process for implementing
the government's obligations under the JBNQA.

Four years later, in September 1990, the federal government
signed separate agreements with the Makivik Corporation
and the Quebec Naskapi Band on the implementation of the
JBNQA and the NEQA. These agreements released the
federal government from certain obligations under the
JBNQA and the NEQA. In return, the government awarded a
one-time grant of $22.8 million to the Inuit and $1.7 million
to the Naskapi.

The government also made other commitments to these
communities. A number of activities have been carried out
under the implementation agreements signed in 1990 with
the Inuit and the Naskapi, and various working groups and
organizational structures have been set up.

Tracks of the woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus
caribou). It inhabits the coniferous boreal forest, the
subarctic taïga and the arctic or alpine tundra.

At the end of 1994, the federal government and
the Cree agreed to begin discussions that would
serve to establish a framework for implementing
the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
In July 1995, the federal government initiated a
process designed to settle certain unresolved
issues pertaining to the JBNQA. A federal
negotiator was appointed, and discussions began
with the Cree of Quebec and the Quebec
government to determine the topics of discussion
for future negotiations. At the same time, on
September 11, 1995, the federal government and
the Cree representatives ratified a five-year
agreement (1995-2000) worth close. to $170
million for the operations and maintenance
budgets of the Cree communities. Other activities
related to the implementation of the JBNQA are
also continuing in the context of bilateral
negotiations or existing programs.

In July 1994, the Nunavik Constitutional
Committee and the Quebec government signed a
global agreement to create a Nunavik assembly
and government. On invitation from Quebec and
the Inuit, the federal government agreed to
participate in the discussions. The Quebec
government appointed a new negotiator and
offered to broaden the mandate to include the
matter of a new funding arrangement. Many
meetings were held, enabling the parties to reach
an agreement on certain matters. Negotiations
were suspended in 1995 and should resume early
in 1996. The federal government will continue to
take part.

The JBNQA Implementation Agreement,
concluded between Canada and the Inuit of
Nunavik in September 1990, provided for regular
meetings to review the progress made in
implementing federal obligations and also called
for coordination of the various types of federal
activity. This process led to the creation of the
Inuit Forum in 1993. In 1995, meetings took
place, and various subjects were discussed. Most
discussions resulted in follow-up activities and
meetings between the parties. The major issues
dealt with during regular talks over the year were
related to studies conducted on the Marine
Infrastructure Program and on training and
employment services.

The NEQA Implementation Agreement, concluded between
Canada and the Naskapi Band of Quebec on September 13,
1990, included provisions pertaining to the renewal of the
five-year operations and maintenance agreement.
Negotiations have taken place and should culminate in the
signing of an agreement between DIAND and the Naskapi
during 1996. In connection with the job Creation Strategy,
meetings between the different federal partners and the
Naskapi have enabled a number of projects and studies to
be completed. The parties hope to reach an agreement on
this soon.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the Department of Indian
Affairs and Northern Development spent a total of
$109,493,023 on its activities among Cree, Inuit and
Naskapi communities covered by the JBNQA and the
NEQA.

Most of these funds - $41,844,836 - went toward the cost
of education services. The Cree School Board received
$30,862,539, the Kativik School Board received
$9,311,267, and the Eastern Quebec School Board
received $1,671,030. A contribution of $6,844,868 was
made for capital expenditures. These funds were
distributed to the school boards through the Quebec
Department of Education.

During the 1994-1995 school year, 5,764 students were
registered at the pre-school, elementary and secondary
levels. The Cree School Board had 3,056 students, the
Kativik School Board had 2,550, and 158 students
attended the Naskapi school.

DIAND also contributed $270,078 as direct financing for
post-secondary education assistance. In addition, the
Department contributed $390,963 for various cultural
activities. The Cree received $194,376 for this purpose,
and the Inuit, $196,587.

A total of $46,561,390 was spent on capital, operations
and maintenance during the 1994-1995 fiscal year.

DIAND provided capital grants, during the 1994-1995 fiscal
year, to the Cree and Naskapi totalling $17,439,107. This
amount includes $7,700,00 for projects related to health,
sanitation and safety in five Cree communities.

An additional $4,570,000 was allocated for infrastructures.
Waskaganish received $4,370,000 for work related to the
drinking water supply and wastewater treatment.
Oujé-Bougoumou obtained $100,000 to install a telephone
system. The Naskapi community received $100,000 to
upgrade a transmission line.

Tracks of the American mink (Mustela vison). It lives in the
forests and scrub near streams and lakes. It can be found
almost everywhere in northern Quebec up to the treeline.

The Department allocated a further $1,098,100
under the First Nations Infrastructures Initiatives
component of the National Infrastructure
Improvement Program. The Cree communities of
Whapmagoostui, Mistissini and Chisasibi received
$1,043,100 for municipal infrastructure projects. The
Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach received
$55,000 to extend the water and sewer systems.

DIAND also contributed $23,404,723 to subsidize
operations and maintenance in Cree and Naskapi
communities. In addition, the community of
Chisasibi received $50,000 toward the cost of
training treatment plant operators.

View of three aerated ponds used for sewage treatment in
Waskaganish.

The Department allocated a further $1,098,100
under the First Nations Infrastructures Initiatives
component of the National Infrastructure
Improvement Program. The Cree communities of
Whapmagoostui, Mistissini and Chisasibi received
$1,043,100 for municipal infrastructure projects. The
Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach received
$55,000 to extend the water and sewer systems.

DIAND also contributed $23,404,723 to subsidize
operations and maintenance in Cree and Naskapi
communities. In addition, the community of
Chisasibi received $50,000 toward the cost of
training treatment plant operators.

The Cree communities of Wemindji and
Waskaganish are not yet linked to the Hydro-
Québec grid. Wemindji operates its own hydroelectric
generating station and separate diesel
generators with an annual operating grant provided
under an agreement with DIAND that ends on
March 26, 1996. In November 1995, Hydro-Québec
informed the community of Wemindji that it was
ready to link the community to its grid.

In Waskaganish, electricity is currently produced by
four diesel generators whose operation is financed
by DIAND. However, this community wishes to
generate its own electricity. The technical
committee composed of representatives from
Waskaganish, Hydro-Québec and DIAND that was
set up in June 1994 submitted its report in
September 1995. Among its other recommendations,
the Committee suggested that an energy
efficiency program be implemented for the generators currently in use. The representatives are
continuing to discuss this matter.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the communities
received the following amounts:

The Quebec government provides social assistance
services for most of the communities located in the area
covered by the agreements. DIAND contributed
$3,398,056 for delivery of social assistance services in the
communities of Mistissini, Waswanipi and
Kawawachikamach.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, these three
communities received the following amounts:

Mistissini

$1,268,670

Waswanipi

$1,155,629

Kawawachikamach

$973,757

TOTAL

$3,398,056

The federal government also finances two additional
social service programs: the National Strategy for
the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (NSIPD)
and the Family Violence Initiative (FVI).

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the beneficiaries
of the JBNQA and the NEQA received the following
amounts:

DIAND participates in the economic development of
Aboriginal peoples by contributing to the opera-tion
of Community Economic Development
Organizations (CEDOs), which were created under
the Canadian Aboriginal Economic Development
Strategy (CAEDS) and provide technical and
financial assistance for projects.

Although the Strategy ended March 31, 1995, the
Department is continuing to support economic
development in accordance with CAEDS standards.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, DIAND
contributed the following amounts:

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, DIAND and Environment
Canada jointly provided $227,600 to the Cree Regional
Authority for continuing work on the inventory of
environmental issues among the Cree communities.
Detailed descriptive studies and analyses of the health
and environmental risks were conducted at sites where
contamination was detected in 1994. The studies will
make it possible to establish priorities among the
inventoried sites. The Naskapi received $6,550 from the
Department for projects related to the inventory.

The Cree and Naskapi communities also received financial
assistance from DIAND through the Indian Environmental
Assistance Fund (IEAF). During the 1994-1995 fiscal
year, the Cree Regional Authority received $20,000 to
produce a directory of environmental services. The
Naskapi received $10,450 to conduct an environmental
impact assessment of a tire recycling project and $25,000
to cover the cost of their participation in the public
hearings on low-level military flights in Quebec and
Labrador.

Installation of a monitoring well for a detailed site characterization in
a Cree community.

The Cree communities of Chisasibi and Mistissini
received $60,250 during the 1994-1995 fiscal year,
under the Resource Access Negotiations Program
(RAN), to negotiate agreements in the areas of
territorial management and mining. The Department
also awarded $55,000 to the Kativik Regional
Development Council to allow the Inuit communities
of Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq to negotiate economic
spin-offs from the Raglan mining project in the areas
of land transport and distribution of petroleum
products.

The Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act provides for the
organization of a registry of rights and interests
granted on Category IA and IA-N lands and on
buildings located on those lands.

During 1995, the communities of Whapmagoostui,
Wemindji and Chisasibi opened local registration
offices. These three offices are in addition to those
already open in Mistissini, Nemaska and
Kawawachikamach. Local registrars were given an
information session on the practical aspects of
operating the registration system. The
Cree-Naskapi Land Registry Regulations, to which
amendments were made in sections 31(4) and 32(1)
in 1994, were the subject of discussions between
the legal representatives of the Cree and Naskapi
and the joint standing committee to study
regulations to clarify certain other provisions.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the Cree Regional
Authority received $381,400 in financial aid from
DIAND: $371,400 was used to cover costs related
to the negotiation of the operations and
maintenance budget and $10,000 was used to cover
the cost of attending a conference on tourism.

The Makivik Corporation obtained a grant of $262,113 to
assist with the operational costs of agencies established
to implement the JBNQA, as well as with the costs of
overall implementation activities. The Corporation also
received $27,000 to cover costs related to its participation
in various advisory committees, and $300,000 to cover
part of the cost of the negotiations for the assembly and
government of Nunavik.

The Naskapi, for their part, received $95,000 to cover part
of the cost of negotiations for the Job Creation Strategy,
the operations and maintenance budget and the capital
budget.

Under the agreement signed in 1992 by DIAND and the
Cree of Oujé-Bougoumou, the Department gave the village
an operations and maintenance grant of $1,965,766 during
the 1994-1995 fiscal year. When the agreement expired,
and pursuant to the negotiations conducted during 1995,
the Cree of Oujé-Bougoumou were included in the overall
operations and maintenance budget for Cree
communities.

The agreement included provisions for the construction of
a new village at Lake Opemisca. It was chosen as a
model Aboriginal village, and the Cree of Oujé-Bougoumou
received a United Nations 50. Communities Award in 1995
as one of the communities around the world that best
exemplify the objectives of the UN. This is a crowning
achievement for the community, whose expression of an
ideal received special mention in the Human Settlement
category. The prize was awarded to the community's
representatives during a special ceremony in New York on
September 24, 1995.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
(CMHC) with the Department of Indian Affairs and
Northern Development, acts directly in eight of the
nine Cree communities in Quebec, and also in the
Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach, through
its on-reserve housing program (section 95 of the
National Housing Act). This program provides funds
to cover a large portion of housing operating costs,
over periods of up to 25 years. Beneficiaries of this
program pay rent geared to their income levels.
CMHC also acts as an advisor to these
communities, supporting them in the planning,
building, management and maintenance of their
housing. There are approximately 3,200 section 95
housing units in operation within the various Native
communities in Quebec, including over 1,400 within
the Cree and Naskapi communities.

The Inuit housing program, for its part, is administered
by the Société d'habitation du Québec
(SHQ) under the Canada-Quebec Social Housing
Agreement. Over 1,600 housing units currently
receive operating subsidies, which are cost-shared
by the federal and provincial governments.
Beneficiaries of this program also pay rent geared
to their income levels.

In 1995, a specific initiative approved in 1994
enabled nine Inuit households from the community
of Kuujjuaq to participate in the construction and financing, and become the owners, of their homes.
This was a first in this part of Quebec. CMHC paid for
slightly more than half of the housing construction costs,
while the SHQ will pay for a portion of the operating costs.
The program was largely designed by the Kativik Regional
Government and received a great deal of support from the
community of Kuujjuaq.

Model single-family dwelling in Mistissini.

In 1994, subsidies provided by the CMHC for housing in
the Aboriginal communities amounted to $42,289,524.

Housing Programs in Northern Quebec1, 1994

Cree

Inuit

Naskapi

Total

Pre-1986 Programs

Federal subsidies

$3,106,371

$15,465,953

$540,931

$19,113,255

Number of subsidized units

639

928

70

1,637

Post-1985 Programs

Federal Subsidies

$6,386,135

$16,532,130

$258,004

$23,176,269

Number of subsidized Units

709

701

24

1,434

1 For the Cree and the Naskapi, programs and criteria for subsidies are different from those applicable to the Inuit.

Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
intends to work toward its goal of promoting greater
autonomy for Native communities. These
communities are seeking control over tools for
improving their workers' employability, upgrading
their workers' skills to meet labour market requirements
and fostering community development.

The Department and the Kativik Regional
Government (KRG) have renewed the services
agreement, giving KRG responsibility for the delivery of employment and training programs and services
for all communities within its jurisdiction. KRG
received $5 million during the 1994-1995 fiscal year.

The Cree entered negotiations with HRDC to reach
overall agreement on the devolution of responsibility
for employment and training programs and services,
which are currently provided by the Department on
Cree territory. Negotiations begun in June 1995 aim
for implementation on the devolution agreement by
April 1, 1996.

The Cree and the Naskapi participated in the
"Pathways to Success" national strategy. During
the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the Cree Local Aboriginal
Management Board received $3,215,218 and the
Naskapi Local Aboriginal Management Board,
$384,000.

For the 1994-1995 fiscal year, Health Canada provided
$4,119,744 for various projects and activities
to Cree, Inuit and Naskapi beneficiaries of the
agreements. The sum of $664,103 went toward the
provision of NonInsured Health Benefits to
beneficiaries living away from their communities.

Nearly one third of funds allocated by Health
Canada to the beneficiaries of the agreements –
$1,292,496 – was used to carry out projects related
to the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Program. The Cree Board of Health and Social
Services of James Bay received $613,008, the
Nunalituqait Ikajuqatigiitut Inuit Association
$644,878 and the Naskapi $34,610. As well,
through projects funded by the Solvent Abuse
component of the program, the Nunalituqait
Ikajuqatigiitut Inuit Association and the Maison Anarraapik respectively received $32,900 and
$75,000.

Twenty-one percent of the funds allocated by
Health Canada - $881,937 - were used by the
communities to carry out projects under the
Brighter Futures program, including the Prenatal
Nutrition component. The sum of $412,675 was
allocated to the Cree; the Kativik Regional Board
of Health and Social Services received the sum of
$440,292, and the Naskapi received $28,970.

Health Canada provided $939,705 for a series of
projects under the Building Healthy Communities
Strategy - Mental Health - and the Kativik
Regional Board of Health and Social Services
received $494,592. The Cree Board of Health and
Social Services of James Bay was allocated
$445,113 for a variety of community activities.

In the area of family violence, the Inuit received
$78,416 to carry out 11 projects. For AIDS prevention,
the Inuit received $30,000. As well, the
Cree Board of Health and Social Services of
James Bay received $25,483 for their family
violence projects.

The sum of $6,725 was provided to the Cree
Board of Health and Social Services of James
Bay for the development of student careers
awareness material in the area of health care. The
Kativik School Board received $92,979 for various
activities.

Health Canada also participated in the financing
of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Health and Social Services Commission since its
creation in March of 1994. Two representatives -
one from the community of Akulivik, the other
from Kawawachikamach - sit on the
Commission's Board of Directors.

Industry Canada invested a total of $3,720,246
during fiscal year 1994-1995 to support 28 business
and economic development projects for the Cree,
Inuit and Naskapi of the region.

Funding was provided for the establishment,
acquisition or expansion of 15 businesses. Ten
other businesses received financial assistance for a
range of business services including feasibility
studies, marketing studies and post-investment
advice. In addition, funding was allocated for three
economic development research projects under the
Research and Advocacy component of Aboriginal
Business Canada.

This funding was invested in a diverse range of
industrial sectors in the region. The most active
sector was that of food and beverage services, but
the Department also funded projects in the
accommodation, agriculture, transportation,
forestry/logging, fishing/trapping, manufacturing,
tourism and business service sectors.

In 1995, the Department of the Solicitor General
Canada concluded negotiations with the
Government of Quebec and the Kativik Regional
Government. On July 1, 1995, the parties signed a
tripartite agreement, ending March 31, 1998, on
policing services north of the 55th parallel.

The agreement allowed for the creation of the
Kativik Regional Police Force, responsible for
policing services in the 14 Northern Village
Corporations and throughout the non-municipal
territory north of the 55th parallel. The agreement
was concluded in accordance with section 21 of the
James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and
the First Nations Policing Policy.

Among other things, the agreement calls for a
progressive staffing increase up to 42 permanent
police officers by April 1997, for support and
supervision from the Sûreté du Québec during the
first two years, for training budgets and for the
immediate assumption of financial responsibility for
policing services.

In 1995, the Department also followed up on the
tripartite policing agreements reached with the
Cree and Naskapi in 1994. In particular, the
Department has begun discussions with the
representatives of the Cree and Quebec concerning
certain unresolved issues relating to
policing services in the James Bay Cree communities.

As its contribution to the tripartite agreements
during the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the Department
of the Solicitor General Canada paid $2,484,000
to the Cree and $240,253 to the Naskapi. In
addition, the Department paid $60,000 to the
Kativik Regional Government to develop proposals
for the organization of policing and to consult the
populations concerned.

The Department's Aboriginal Corrections Policy
Unit, for its part, continued to participate both
formally and informally in the justice-Solicitor
General Working Group with the Inuit of Nunavik.

The Correctional Service of Canada allocated
$30,000 to Native Parajudicial Services of Quebec
which is responsible for counseling Native
offenders in federal penitentiaries, including the
Cree, Inuit and Naskapi, to facilitate suitable
correctional planning and followup until their
release. In addition, $24,000 has been allocated
to various treatment programs designed to deal
with substance abuse and sexual offences and to
promote literacy training as well as Native culture
and spirituality. These amounts do riot include the
direct costs of incarceration.

The Service has also invested $75,000 in accommodation,
surveillance and treatment in
halfway houses during conditional release. During
the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the financial
contribution of the Correctional Service of Canada
reached $129,000.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the Department
of the Solicitor General Canada contributed
$2,913,253 to its activities in northern Quebec.

Canadian Heritage, acting through the Native
Citizens' Directorate, supports a wide range of
activities in northern Quebec. Its main areas of
intervention are in the operation of Native communication
networks and friendship centres, the protection of Native languages and cultures,
support for Native organizations and for the
improvement of the situation of Native women.
During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, Canadian
Heritage provided support, through its pro-grams,
to Aboriginal communities in northern Quebec,
amounting to $2,258,260.

Canadian Heritage, Program Expenditures in 1994-1995

Northern Native Broadcast Access Program

James Bay Cree Communications Society

$371,000

Taqramiut Nipingat Incorporated (TNI)

1,152,000

Aboriginal Representative Organizations Program

Makivik Corporation

189,242

Native Friendship Centre Program

Senneterre Native Friendship Centre Inc.*

141,829

Val-d'or Native Friendship Centre Inc.*

212,743

Cree Indian Friendship Centre of Chibougamou Inc.

177,286

Aboriginal Women's Program

Cree Women Council

8,530

Grand Council of Naskapi

5,630

Total

$2,258,260

*The services provided by Native friendship centres are not offered exclusively to the agreements' beneficiaries.

An "Inukshuk" on the banks of Quataq Bay. The enormous stone
figures in human forms, as in Nunavik, are part of the cultural
heritage of the Inuit people.

The Department of National Defence has done work
on the territory under agreement to restore 24 sites
contaminated mostly by barrels that remained at
Kuujjuaq, in northern Quebec.

The project, which started in the summer of 1994,
was a joint effort between National Defence,
Environment Canada, Transport Canada and the
Municipality of Kuujjuaq. Public Works and
Government Services Canada provided project
management and technical support for the envi -
ronmental issues.

The project aimed at solving an environmental problem
that had an impact on the quality of life of the people
and the wildlife in that region. Since the construction
of the military airport by the United States Air Force
during World War II and its sub-sequent use by
National Defence and Transport Canada, 25,000
barrels had been left at different places in the region of
Ungava Bay. Some were near the Municipality of
Kuujjuaq and the banks of the Koksoak River. A
number of barrels were empty, but many contained
bitumen, and some were leaking.

The project, which cost $2.5 million, was carried out
in partnership with the Municipal Corporation of
Kuujjuaq, which did most of the work, and the Land
Corporation of Nayumivik. The latter, along with the
Centre d'Études nordiques de l'Université Laval, has
done the necessary revegetation work on the sites.
The Inuit airline, First Air, transported the compressed
barrels to be recycled near Montréal. During the
19941995 fiscal year, National Defence granted
$1,986,600 to the Municipal Corporation of Kuujjuaq
and to the Land Corporation of Nayumivik to cover the
costs of Phase 1 of the project.

Since February 1995, the Canadian Coast Guard
(CCG) has been part of the Department of Fisheries
and Oceans (DFO). Following this merger, the
Quebec region changed its name, becoming the
Laurentian region. In addition to administering several
research and development programs in northern
Quebec, the DFO is now responsible for numerous
services including protection, vessel escort services,
assistance to navigation and maritime
telecommunications. The DFO continues to manage
marine fisheries and the fish habitat in cooperation
with the Cree and the Inuit, and is pursuing its scientific studies in the Hudson basin. The
DFO is not active on .the Naskapi territory, as the
Naskapi fish only freshwater species, which are
managed by Quebec, However, the Department has
established contacts through the Hunting, Fishing and
Trapping Coordinating Committee.

Members of the community of Kuujjuaq working to restore sites to
their natural condition as part of a project developed by National
Defence, Environment Canada, Transport Canada and the
Municipality of Kuujjuaq.

Northern Quebec sector and Native affairs

In 1995, the DFO ensured the implementation of the
Native Fisheries Strategy (NFS) as well as drawing up
and applying of an interim northern Quebec beluga
management plan, in conjunction with the 14 Northern
Village Corporations. Fishing agreements were signed
with these corporations, allowing them to hire 14
community officers to monitor beluga hunting.

Still within the framework of the. NFS, the DFO and the Kativik School Board devised a specialized program to
train fish wardens. Eight candidates completed the first
phase of the course. Six of them were hired as fish
wardens under agreements concluded with the Northern
Village Corporations. These fish wardens participated in
the implementation of beluga management measures, by
carrying out, among other things, numerous patrols on
land, at sea and in the air, together with community
officers and DFO fisheries officers.

Graduates of Phase 1 of the fishery guardian course developed
by the Kativik School Board and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The Department continued its implementation of the
special maritime fisheries development programs
which should generate significant socioeconomic
spin-offs in northern Quebec. It also completed
projects under the Quebec Federal Fisheries
Development Program, a program which came to an
end on March 31, 1995. Moreover, the DFO continued
to provide its financial assistance and advisory
support for projects carried out by the Makivik
Corporation and Les Pêcheries Seaku Inc. under the
Fisheries and Aquaculture Testing and
Experimentation Program. In the first case, the
initiative involved a project to develop an intercommunity
food trade network. In the second, it concerned
the development of commercial amphipod and
zooplankton fisheries in Hudson Strait.

The DFO also assisted the Cree Regional Authority
financially in its efforts to develop a local market for
the products of the Waswanipi fish processing plant.

Regional Science Branch

The DFO, through the Maurice Lamontagne Institute,
continued activities associated with the
multidisciplinary study of the marine environment of
Hudson Bay, initiated in 1993, to acquire information
necessary to assess the cumulative impact of
changes in the flows of fresh water on the integrity of
the marine environment of Hudson Bay. Objectives of
the program include simulating the cumulative impact,
determining chlorophyllous pigment distribution
patterns, assessing the availability of nutrients,
acquiring basic data on phytoplanktonic and zooplanktonic communities and assessing the
contribution of terrestrial organic material.

Several laboratory analyses were carried out, and a
technical report dealing with all the data will be published
shortly. Statistical analysis of the results is currently
under way and will also be published. The processing of
satellite data, which will help to determine surface
chlorophyllous pigment distribution patterns in Hudson
Bay, is also continuing.

Finally, a plan to disseminate the research results of the
last few years was prepared as part of a research
program.

Research work on the beluga of Hudson Bay and Hudson
Strait also continued, in close cooperation with the
Makivik Corporation and the municipal corporations. This
cooperation involved sampling beluga whales and
walruses caught by the Inuit to continue the genetic
studies on the population structure, monitoring age and
sex of the animals harvested and studies on parasites
found in these species.

Field work was carried out in cooperation with walrus
hunters, and it led to the examination and sampling of
catches with a view to studying the impact of trichinosis
on this species.

Achievements in the area of marine mammals include a
simulation of hunting management options, the revision
of the status of the beluga stock of eastern Hudson Bay,
and the issuing of scientific opinions and advice on
management measures. Moreover, DFO participation at
the Workshop on Contaminants in the North, held in
Winnipeg in March 1995, made it possible to present
some results related to the presence of metals in marine
mammals and in certain fish of eastern Hudson Bay.
This problem is of particular importance given the fact
that these resources are caught and eaten by the Inuit.

Fish habitat management activities focused, among other
things, on assistance for projects carried out under
special programs. As part of the Habitat Action Plan,
work continued on the program for the monitoring of fish
habitats along the northern route (James Bay), in
cooperation with the Cree Regional Authority, and on the
restora-tion of habitats for arctic char near Inukjuak
(Hudson Bay), in partnership with the Avataq Cultural
Institute and the Inukjuak Young People's Committee.

Canadian Coast Guard

Within its mandate, the Canadian Coast Guard
carries out various activities related to protection,
vessel escort services, assistance to navigation and
maritime telecommunications in northern Quebec.

First, it protects the public's right to sail by issuing
authorizations for works on and over navigable waters.
The issuing of such authorizations applies to all
bodies of water, whether natural or artificial, which
may lend themselves to navigation for commercial or
pleasure-boating purposes. For example, the Raglan
project, which includes bridges, a road and the
reopening of the harbour terminal in Deception Bay,
was approved in July 1995 under the Navigable
Waters Protection Act.

There are 59 aids to navigation (coastal lights, range
lights and raccoons), which are distributed along the
coastline of Quebec. Many are maintained and put
into service on an annual basis. There are also
dozens of navigational range lights in the form of
beacons with a light on top, as for example, at
Kuujjuaq and Beacon Point.

Two 1200-type heavy -duty ice-breakers are available
to escort commercial vessels needing assistance,
generally few dozen. The operating season of these
ice-breakers extends from June to October. They are
mainly used in Hudson Strait, as Hudson Bay is
usually clear at this time of the year.

Finally, the helicopter service of the Canadian Coast
Guard, which carries out aerial patrols in Hudson Bay,
Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, conducted, for the
very first time, maritime fisheries surveillance patrols
in conjunction with Inuit fish wardens and DFO
officers.

Transport Canada demonstrated its financial
commitment to the communities targeted in the
agreements by allocating funds for capital assets,
airport operations and maintenance, and the Maritime
Infrastructure Program.

Transport Canada's total spending in 1994-1995 at the
Schefferville and Eastmain airports came to $492,000.

Transport Canada, in partnership with National
Defence and Environment Canada, also participated in
an environmental project at Kuujjuaq involving the
removal of 25,000 barrels of bitumen abandoned in
this region some 50 years ago. The Department of
National Defence acted as prime contractor in this
project.

Following an agreement between the Naskapi and the
Montagnais of Schefferville, Transport Canada has
been awarding the Schefferville Airport operations and
maintenance contract to the Naskapi since August
1992. Under this contract, the Department granted
$270,214 to the Naskapi during the 1994-1995 fiscal
year. This three-year contract has now lapsed. On
August 1, 1995, they were awarded a second threeyear
contract.

Partial view of 25,000 barrels recovered as part of the
environmental project in the Kuujjuaq region.

The communities of Eastmain, Waskaganish, and
Wemindji have held the operations and maintenance
contracts for their airport since 19831984. Contracts with
each of the Cree band councils were renewed on April 1,
1995, for a three-year period. During 1994-1995 fiscal
year, the three communities were granted $565,057.

Transport Canada and the Kativik Regional Government
have begun negotiations to transfer responsibility for
Kuujjuaq Airport management to the local community,
beginning in 1996.

Preliminary studies of a program for the 14 Nunavik
Village Corporations were completed in June 1995, and a
study summary was prepared. To complete the studies,
an additional $125,000 in expenses was incurred in fiscal
year 1994-1995.

Environment Canada and the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency share the federal obligations
relating to the implementation of measures for the
protection of the environment and of the social
conditions, as provided in sections 22, 23 and 24 of the
JBNQA.

Environment Canada

Environment Canada (Quebec region) contributed to the
implementation of protection measures of the agreement
by providing a few appointments or representatives to
some of the multipartite committees. In doing so, the
Department retained the services of consultants to
participate as members of the James Bay Advisory
Committee on the Environment and the Kativik
Environmental Advisory Committee. A representative of
the Canadian Wildlife Service continued to participate in
the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating
Committee.

The Department is also involved in the issue of the
Canada goose migrating population as well as the
proposed measures to ensure the future of this resource.

For the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the expenditures of
Environment Canada, Quebec region, related to the
implementation of the JBNQA amounted to $28,000.

In addition, Environment Canada participated jointly
with the Department of National Defence and
Transport Canada in the clean-up of abandoned
barrels at sits in Kuujjuaq through the National Site
Decontamination Program. The Department also
provided technical and scientific expertise during the
project.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment
Agency

With regard to sections 22 and 23, the Agency
assisted the federal administrator, the local administrators
and the federal review committees, as
appropriate, in the environmental assessment of the
following development proposals.

The evaluation of the Great Whale hydro-electric
proposal continued. This proposal is subject to the
federal and provincial review process set out in the
JBNQA, and to the federal Environmental
Assessment and Review Process. Because of the
need for a global concerted evaluation of the entire
proposal, the federal and provincial governments, the
Cree Regional Authority, the Grand Council of the
Crees (of Quebec), the Kativik Regional Government
and the Makivik Corporation signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) to ensure the coordination of
environmental assessment procedures in January
1992.

In August 1993, Hydro-Québec filed an environmental
impact study (EIS) of the Great Whale Proposal, in
response to directives issued in September 1992.

In accordance with the MOU, the four federal and
provincial committees and commissions established
under sections 22 and 23 of the JBNQA and the
federal panel responsible for examining the Great
Whale Proposal completed and forwarded to the
federal and provincial administrators a joint report on
the conformity of the EIS in November 1994.

The review bodies reported that the EIS has a number
of major deficiencies which prevent clear identification
and prediction of the repercussions of the proposed
project. In writing their report, the review bodies took
into account written comments received from the
public during consultations which were held from
February to July 1994.

Environment Canada has established measures to protect the Canada geese populations.

In December 1994 following statements made by the
premier of Quebec that the Quebec government no longer
considered the Great Whale proposal a priority,
Hydro-Québec informed federal and provincial authorities
responsible for initiating the environmental review that it
would wait for the outcome of the provincial energy
debate announced by the government before deciding on
the need to continue with the assessment of its
proposal. The respective authorities then asked the
review bodies to suspend further work pending
notification from Hydro-Québec.

The Agency acted as secretariat for the Federal
Review Panel - South of the 55th Parallel
(COFEX-South) for the environmental evaluation of a
sewage treatment project in Waskaganish. After
reviewing the submitted information, COFEX-South
recommended that the local administrator approve the
project.

COFEX-South also recommended that the local
administrator of Eastmain authorize, with conditions,
the proposed permanent road from the community of
Eastmain to the Matagami/LG2 road and the
proposed renovation of the wastewater treatment plant
at Eastmain.

For the 1994-1995 fiscal year, expenditures by the
Agency amounted to $622,527. This includes
expenditures related to the assessment of the Great
Whale Proposal, amounting to $469,229. It also
includes $95,000 paid to the Quebec government in
the form of a federal contribution toward the financing
of the James Bay Advisory Committee on the
Environment and the Kativik Environmental Advisory
Committee. Finally, it includes $58,298 for the
environmental assessment by COFEX-South, the
evaluating committee activities and the JBNQA
administration.

The role of the Canadian Forest Service is to implement
the Forest Management Program for Indian Lands
(FMPIL) in cooperation with Cree communities. This
program enables Native peoples to manage their forest
resources on the basis of a code of ethics which
respects traditional customs.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the FMPIL allocated
$429,700 to the Cree of Mistissini and Waswanipi for
activities and projects in tune with the program's
philosophy.

In Mistissini, the Eenatuk Forestry Corporation received
$213,380 for work which included clear cutting in a
checkerboard pattern with forest protection on 305
hectares, preparation of 97 hectares of land, planting of
299,000 trees, pre-commercial thinning of five hectares
and improvement of four kilometres of bush road. This
money also enabled the Corporation to support its
technical team financially. Under the program, Native
trainees were introduced to forestry and provided the
technical team with support.

In the case of the Waswanipi Cree, financial
contributions of $216,320 were allocated to the
A-Pit-See-Win Cooperative for work which included clear
cutting in a checkerboard pattern with forest protection
on 350 hectares, preparation of 124 hectares of land,
recovery of residual volume on 42 hectares, planting of
546,000 trees, precommercial thinning of 45 hectares
and construction of 36 kilometres of bush road. As in
Mistissini, Native trainees received training under the
FMPIL.

The Canadian Forest Service participated in the
evaluation of projects on agreement land, such as the
Great Whale hydro-electric project and the
Grevet-Cambior Inc. mining project. The Canadian Forest
Service issues recommendations for each project and
advises the minister responsible with regard to the
forestry aspects, in terms of both the timber potential
and the ecosystem.

Geomatics Canada, through its regional office of Legal
Surveys Division (LSD), works with Native
communities mainly to produce cartographic
information and provide consulting services. It also
supervises certain projects relating to land surveying
and map production.

LSD managed a program with costs shared between
DIAND and the Mistassini community. The latter
required maps for development projects, and DIAND
needed additional large-scale maps to illustrate the
interests granted to members of the community or
other non-Native parties. The regional LSD took aerial
photographs at a scale of 1:10,000 and 1:15,000 of
the Village of Mistassini and surrounding area and
produced six maps of 1:2;000.

The Quebec government published in the Official
Gazette, decrees 140-95 to 147-95 inclusive, dated
February 1, 1995, concerning the transfer, to the
Government of Canada, of the category IA lands of
James Bay. Each decree was accompanied by a
technical description of IA lands of the Cree
associated community. These decrees were
forwarded to the Department of Justice Canada and
DIAND for their approval. At the request of the two
departments, the regional office of LSD proceeded
with the examination of the eight technical
descriptions. Since six of the descriptions were
inadequate, a complete revision of the French and
English versions was carried out in July 1995. The
modifications were accepted by the Service de
l'arpentage of the Quebec Department of Natural
Resources.

In March 1995, the central land registrar of rights and
interests respecting the Cree and Naskapi lands and
buildings called on the expertise of the regional office
of LSD to help in giving a training session on the
workings of the Crina registration system for the
benefit of the local land registrars of each Cree
community. The session was oriented toward the
legal aspects and the methods of registering interests
in the lands and buildings. In October 1995, the
regional office of LSD made a presentation of the
Crina system to a Russian delegation from Dmitrov,
which was in Canada for training on the different
aspects of property management.

A group of Waswanipi school students during a demonstration of a
reforestation technique.

Finally, under the authority of the Canada Lands Surveys
Act, the regional office of LSD carried out a site
inspection of the survey of the access roads through the
IA lands of Wemindji and Eastmain and prepared survey
instructions for the preparation of plans showing the
recently built Hydro-Québec distribution lines in the Cree
IA lands. Also, during 1995, the regional office prepared
parcel plans and confirmed the Crina numbers at the
request of the central land registrar for all rights granted
on Cree and/or Naskapi lands.

In 1995, the Federal Office of Regional Development-
Quebec (FORD-Q) launched its new SMALL
BUSINESS ACCESS CENTRE concept, which gives
entrepreneurs in every region of Quebec access to a
completely revamped range of services. FORD-Q now
provides businesses with strategic advice, particularly
in the fields of innovation, new markets, business
networks - especially those of the federal government
and entrepreneurship.

FORD-Q also set up a new program, IDEA-SME, in
April 1995. Unlike the programs formerly administered
by FORD-Q, which were intended to provide financial
assistance for capital projects, this new program
provides services and funding for activities in the
following areas: innovation, research, development
and design, export and market development, and
entrepreneurship and business climate.

This repositioning essentially makes FORD-Q the
gateway for SMEs to federal programs and services
which can provide practical assistance to ensure their
prosperity.

Under the terms of the Enterprise Development
Program, Tourism Component, which terminated at
the end of the 1994-1995 fiscal year, a total of
$99,367 in contributions was granted to Cree
communities. Inuit communities received overall
contributions of $151,000. Projects receiving federal
government support included that of Opawica
Expeditions Inc. to create a firm providing adventure
tourism packages in the Cree territory of Waswanipi.
This project is a good example of partnership between
representatives of Cree and non-Native communities.
The Pourvoirie du Massif des Torngats also received
support from FORD-Q to set up a hunting, fishing and
adventure tourism camp in the Alluviaq Fjord region,
east of Ungava Bay.

The Aboriginal Justice Directorate of the federal
Department of justice has continued participating in the
work of the justice-Solicitor General Working Group with
the Inuit of Nunavik. The Working Goup's mission is to
identify improvements to the justice system for the Inuit
of Nunavik.

During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the Department granted
$40,000 to the Grand Council of the Crees (of Quebec) to
cover expenditures related to Phase II of the long-range
"Justice for the Crees " project. Phase I of the project
consisted of research into crime, the judicial system and
the police. In Phase II, Cree communities will be
consulted concerning the results of that research. The
purpose of these public consultations, which will take
place over a three-year period, is to develop and test
local and regional justice initiatives.